


In Santa's Lap

by kelex



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Holiday, M/M, None - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-10
Updated: 2013-05-10
Packaged: 2017-12-11 07:33:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/795491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kelex/pseuds/kelex
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim plays Santa Claus to a group of underprivilged children.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Santa's Lap

## In Santa's Lap

by Kel

Author's website:  <http://crystalshard24.tripod.com/sentinelindex.html>

Let's be real here. If I owned them, I wouldn't be sitting here writing about it. I'd be watching *them* do this stuff, filming it, and selling it at affordable prices to all interested parties. No Sentinels or Guides were harmed in the making of this story, and they were all cleaned and returned to Petfly upon completion.

Originally posted in the Many Holiday Tales of the Sentinel edition of My Mongoose E-zines.

* * *

In Santa's Lap  
by Kel 

"No." 

"C'mon, man, please?" 

"No." 

"You're the only one who'll fit into the suit." 

"The padding makes me itch." 

"Jiiiim!" 

_sigh_ "And you say it's for who again?" 

"The Fraternal Order of Police Children's Christmas Extravaganza." 

"Kids, Chief?" 

"Oh stop it. You're just a big ol' Sentinel-teddy where kids are concerned. You just don't want to admit it." 

"Kids?" 

"I got two words for you, Jim--Stacey Neuman." 

"Stacey was different. She was--" 

"--a kid." 

_sigh_ "I said yes, Chief." 

**"YES!"**

* * *

Six hours later found Jim swathed in a traditional red and white Santa suit, complete with spirit-gummed beard and a red hat perched on his head. But it was Blair's outfit that rocked the house. He was dressed in complete red down to his little red felt shoes with the pointy toes and red had with stitched on elf ears. He even wore a little plastic button on his lapel that read _Santa's Little Helper._

And despite Jim's protests to the contrary, the twelve kids who were part of the "Extravaganza" had thoroughly charmed the Sentinel as he and Blair played games with them, read them stories, shared cookies and hot chocolate. 

Finally, though, the time came to hand out presents, and Jim both anticipated and dreaded this part. Blair stood by his side with a bag full of wrapped presents, one for each kid. The kids had told their Secret Santas the one thing they'd wanted the most this Christmas, and that one thing was wrapped and put in Santa's big bag for Jim to hand out. 

At the end of the line, there was one little girl with brown pigtails who looked sad. Jim knew her name was Laura from the games and the snacks and he motioned her up to the front of the line to sit on his lap. "What's wrong, Laura?" 

She looked up at Jim. "What I really want for Christmas nobody can wrap up for me, Santa, not even you." 

Jim's interest was piqued. "What do you want?" 

"To be a family again, with a mommy and a daddy that love me a lot." Then she hugged Jim around the neck, almost dislodging his beard. "It's okay, Mister, I know you're just like Blair and one of Santa's _special helpers,_ but will you tell him what I said?" Laura giggled. "He's too tall to be an elf." 

Startled at first, Jim hugged Laura back. "Of course I'll tell the big man." Blair tapped Jim on the shoulder with Laura's present. "But until I do get to talk to him, here you go." He watched as the little girl ripped the paper off to find the Little Ms. Policewoman playkit, and Jim's mouth spread in a smile. "You want to be a policewoman when you grow up, Laura?" 

"Oh yes. I want that very much," she said, clutching the Little Ms. set to her chest. "I want to be a cop and do all kinds of good stuff." 

Jim traded a look with Blair. "Well, I think I might know somebody who can help with that." He took the playkit and with a pen that Blair magically supplied him with, printed his name and the phone number at the station in large block letters on the blank cardboard backing. "You talk to Ms. Lands but you call this guy on Monday and he'll set you up a tour of the police station. He's a detective. He'll even make you a special detective-strength hot chocolate with marshmallows." 

Laura giggled. "Can I bring my friends?" 

Blair leaned in to whisper something softly in Jim's ear. "They do have that whole KidKop program. You could set them up with that." 

"Of course you can, if Ms. Lands says it's okay." 

He looked up at the woman and she nodded gratefully. "Of course we'll go. Santa, thank you so much. The Children's Home will be forever grateful." 

"What else is Santa Claus for?" Jim asked with a laugh. Laura moved to the side, and Jim continued with each child in the line until the last present had been distributed and it was time for him to go. The children all chorused together on a whine begging Santa to stay, but Jim shook his head. "Sorry, it's time for Santa to go!" He winked at Laura. "I'll make sure that I come again on Christmas Eve!" They all followed Jim to the door, waving at him as he and his little Guide-Elf walked down the sidewalk and disappeared around the corner. 

* * *

An hour later, Jim had dropped to the couch in front of the tree Blair had insisted they put up. Without warning, Blair came up beside him, shirt open to the waist, curly-toed shoes discarded and hair wild. He plopped down on Jim's lap without warning and put his arms around Jim's neck. "That was a very sweet thing you did today, James Ellison. I'm proud of you." 

Jim tightened his arms around Blair's waist and shrugged. "She was a sweet kid, and I can't turn down anybody who's going to be a cop some day." 

"Uh huh." 

"You know what she said about wanting a family?" 

"Jiiim...." 

"I'm not saying we adopt her, all right? Though she's a great kid... wouldn't mind having a kid like her... I'm just saying, maybe she could use a couple of uncles, you know? Especially a couple of uncles on the police force?" 

"Why James Joseph Ellison, did you go and fall in love with that little girl?" Jim flushed from his hairline to his chest but he didn't say anything. Blair tugged on the gummed-on beard. "I know they're looking for Big Brothers, mentors, and foster homes for most of those kids, you want to see if they'll let us mentor Laura?" 

Jim smiled. "You wouldn't mind, would you, Chief? I know you've still got a lot of work to do with your dissertation, but..." 

"Uh huh. But you'd like to have her around." 

"Well, yeah." 

"Well, I guess we could turn my old bedroom into a little girl's room...." 

Jim's grin spread from ear to ear. "You won't regret this, Chief." 

Blair tugged on the beard. "Yeah yeah... just shut up and kiss me, Santa." 

The End 

* * *

End In Santa's Lap by Kel: dragonbane4@aol.com

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